


A Christmas Eve Date

by Dream_Traveler_Kirvee



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-31
Updated: 2013-12-31
Packaged: 2018-01-06 23:19:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1112699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dream_Traveler_Kirvee/pseuds/Dream_Traveler_Kirvee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin wanted to hang out with Haru, conveniently on Christmas Eve. Despite attempts to say otherwise, Rin insists that it's not a date (it totally is).</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Christmas Eve Date

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the-wicked-xen](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=the-wicked-xen).



> Thiiiiiis is late and not really what I wanted and probably not the best because I had to force it out of me in order to meet the deadline, but I hope you like it???? You asked for something with not that much angst and while this was meant to be a little angsty because it's introspective on Haru's end, it probably didn't come across that well in the end OTL.
> 
> I did my best, so I hope you like what I was able to write.
> 
> I only have a strong, confident Haru voice, I don't know Rin's voice that well so if he appears OOC....I'm very sorry. This is my first Free! fic, I swear I write better than this ; v ;.
> 
> *apologizing 5ever*
> 
> Also this was read over by only one friend and myself when I was sleep-deprived, so any mistakes are entirely mine.

The cool, crisp winter air nipped at the exposed skin of his cheeks as he stared up at the gray sky. Small flakes fell and flew through the air in a periodic descent, settling on and around his face, in his hair, as he watched them pass. When any got too close to his eyes, he blinked to brush them away.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been waiting, distracted as he was by the falling snow. Thirty minutes, maybe? Not that it mattered, because the point was that Rin was late.

He breathed out a huff of warm air, eyes following the wispy trail of his breath until it dissipated into the surrounding cold. It’d been several months since their relay with Rin—since Rin became their friend again—yet Haruka had barely had much time to spend with or talk to the redhead. Joint practices were usually too full of swimming and other people and the train schedules were weird, so they didn’t exactly have much time to talk in the locker rooms when either team had to rush to catch their train.

So it had come as a surprise to him when Rin asked him to hang out on Christmas Eve. He’d asked in the locker room one day after joint practice, before the Samezuka team had to shuffle out towards the train station. He’d stared blankly at Rin long enough for the other to start squirming.

“We’re not a couple,” he’d said, more as an obvious statement than anything else, but with the way Rin’s face had become almost as red as his hair and the spluttering mess he got reduced to as he spouted incoherent excuses and explanations… Well, Haruka would be lying if he’d said he didn’t enjoy seeing Rin like that even if just a little.

Nevertheless, he’d agreed to it. Spending time with Rin alone…would be good. The last time they were alone together on good terms was their last race as kids. Haruka’s eyes set into a determined gaze as his thoughts began to wander.

Remembering that day felt like a pang in his heart, the way Rin’s face had looked so…defeated. Lost. Hopeless. They were emotions and expressions that looked so starkly foreign on the younger boy that Haruka couldn’t even offer any reply, just an attempt at communication that failed miserably. Swimming had caused Rin to leave him.

But it was different now. Now, Rin’s expressions were more open, honest. Not fully like the pushy boy with a bright smile that Haruka remembered, but…much closer to him than the Rin he knew a few months ago. The Rin who glared at him on sight and was always hostile around him. Haruka didn’t like that Rin, and if he could do anything to help it, he never wanted to see that Rin again.

More than anything, he didn’t want Rin to leave or make those bad expressions again.

“You daydreamin’, Haru?” came from his left, snapping him out of his thoughts and forcing him to turn his head toward the speaker.

Speak of the devil, there was Rin. Waving and grinning at him from outside the closed train doors. Odd, he never heard the train approaching or arriving… Maybe he’d been more lost in thought than he’d supposed.

He turned his head away in reply, his lips pulled down into a pout behind his scarf as he glared at the wall,

“Shut up. You’re late.”

His gaze shifted to fall to the ground before moving back to Rin, who’d since walked up to where he’d been waiting by the station.

“Hey.”

He watched carefully from the corner of his eyes, not missing the slight way Rin’s shoulders relaxed at his greeting or how his face somewhat softened, but still remained bright. He was happy…and also relieved, apparently.

“Hey,” the taller boy responded, lifting a hand to rub absentmindedly at the back of his neck as he looked off to the side, “sorry I’m late. Gou needed me to do something for her that took longer than I expected it to.”

“Mm. It’s fine,” he replied, closing his eyes and shrugging for good measure as he pushed off the wall he’d been leaning against, straightening to turn and face the other, “So, where are we going?”

The redhead’s grin grew wider as he turned and began walking toward town, motioning for Haruka to follow him. He trailed along behind the taller teen, eventually catching up to be relatively side-by-side with him. The wind gusted briefly, biting more at his cheeks as he walked with Rin.

“Places!” the other answered noncommittally.

At Haruka’s inquiring, blank stare Rin faltered somewhat, tsking as he turned to gaze up at the overcast sky.

“Y’know, ramen, a movie, some shopping, stuff like that.”

Now it was Haruka’s turn to cluck his tongue in annoyance, “That’s a date. We’re not a couple.”

He glanced to the side when he heard the other suddenly cough as if he were choking, partially out of concern.

“Like I **_said_** , it’s **_not_** a date! You don’t—we’re not—you can do things on Christmas Eve with friends too, y’know!”

Rin’s face was somewhat red as he glanced to the side away from Haruka. If he were being honest with himself right now, he’d find it cute. Instead, he hummed in contemplation, the corners of his lips quirking into the faint trace of a smile.

“Maybe. Most people call that a date, though.”

A long-suffering groan from his side made his smile grow a little more behind the shield of his scarf.

“Ungh, whatever. Call it what you want, but it’s **_not_** a date!”

They’d gotten out of the station now and were walking along the sidewalk toward the town.

“Hm. If you say so.”

A litany of grumbles was his only answer. Truthfully, it didn’t matter in the end to Haruka. It wasn’t like he had anything else to do at this time of year, and he wasn’t expected to fulfill his obligated familial visit for New Years for at least another day or two. Spending time with Rin would be a good distraction from that impending event. Regardless of how that time was spent.

“It’s fine,” he glances over at the other curiously as they round a corner, the lights of Iwatobi were like blobs of multi-colored, blurred dots in the distance as they drew closer.

“I’ll get mackerel ramen from the ramen place,” he stated firmly.

Rin rolled his eyes half-heartedly, a sigh escaping him.

“I knew you were going to ask for mackerel…”

Haruka just hummed in acknowledgement. Rin was different than he was as a kid, but still mostly the same. He much preferred this Rin to the one that would glare at him at every opportunity.

As the snow continued to gently fall, he hoped more than anything that this time Rin would stay.


End file.
